MUMBAI:
Starting 7 August, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Asia Pacific
will be called the Australia Network, offering news, documentaries, drama and
lifestyle programs. In its new avatar, the network will bring some new programmes
but with same spirit and zeal across Asia.

In India, the channel will
be distributed by Global Broadcast News (GBN). In a recent interview to Indiantelevision.com,
GBN joint managing director Sameer Manchanda disclosed, "We have just signed
up to be the Indian agent of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, an infotainment
channel with large doses of news and travel shows."

Featuring live coverage
from around the region, it will be produced exclusively for Australia Network
by the ABC TV news and current affairs division.

The channel will
air a brand new current affairs programmes Focus on Tuesdays and Thursdays
at 9 PM

Evening bulletins
will feature three times per night at 5 PM, 7 PM and 9 PM, with exclusive reports
from the four new correspondents in the region reporting from Delhi, Beijing,
South Pacific and Jakarta in addition to ABC correspondents from around the world.

Adelaide
based actor Margot Politis will host Study English, which has been designed
specifically to help students prepare for study overseas or improve their career
prospects. Politis is also the host of the ABC Education programme Like It
Is.

Business English will focus on helping people improve their career
prospects by learning the worlds global language of business.

The dramas
are uniquely Australian, created, written and produced in Australia. The Australia
Networks will bring in a daily soap Home & Away. It will air at 5:30
PM

There will be a special one hour recap of all Home & Away every
Sunday at 6 PM The network will showcase more Aussie drama such as hospital drama
All Saints; the award winning police series Blue Heelers; Love My Way with
Claudia Karvan; Travel favourite Getaway and many more.

The Network
will be carrying coverage ranging from horse racing (The Melbourne Cup), to V8
Supercars to surfing and of course rugby International Rugby Union featuring the
International Test Matches between Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, England,
France and Ireland as well as the Tri Nations and Bledisloe Cups, National Rugby
League (NRL) and Australian Rules Football (AFL).